Darby police: Woman found stabbed to death in basement of home

DARBY, Pa. (WPVI) -- Darby police are searching for a killer after a woman was found stabbed to death in the basement of her own home.

Police have identified the victim as 51-year-old Diane Hart.

She was located Sunday afternoon on the 500 block of Spruce Street. She had been stabbed to death.

Police say the victim had multiple stab and slash wounds to the head, neck and chest.

Officers entered the home after Hart's special needs daughter was spotted roaming the neighborhood for hours, saying she was looking for her mother.

Neighbors say they knew it was out of the ordinary, and they called police.

"We searched the home, downstairs in the basement. We find mom buried underneath a pile of clothes," said Darby Police Chief Robert Smythe.

Police believe Diane was killed sometime overnight Saturday into Sunday. Neighbors tell Action News they were too fearful to speak on camera.

Police have been hot on the case, and tell us they do have a person of interest in mind.

"We have taken DNA samples from several people. One male we know to be with her that night. We've served a search warrant on his house and a search warrant on his body for DNA," said Smythe. "He's a person of very high interest."

Anyone with information is asked to contact police.